With calm persisting in Ferguson, Missouri, to the point National Guard troops are withdrawing, the #Ferguson focus is shifting to how to improve trust between law enforcement and civilians.

In that important national discussion, here's the idea that deserves top billing: Equip police officers with body cameras. It's not a new idea, but several reasons make it a good idea worth advancing now.

Beyond a body camera giving much-needed evidence of what happened in the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, the most compelling reason can be found in the results from the few communities where police have worn cameras.

A well-known study of body cameras comes from Rialto, California, which randomly equipped about half its officers with cameras linked to Tasers. In the first year of use, citizen complaints against officers fell by 88 percent, and use of force by officers fell 59 percent.

A similar study in Mesa, Arizona, saw citizen complaints drop by more than half against officers wearing cameras. Such findings echo a decade-old study of police dashboard cameras, the use of which helped clear police of their actions nine out of 10 times.

There are concerns from some police officers about constantly being monitored while working. Similarly, some citizens see being recorded as an invasion of privacy. Both concerns can be addressed through the development and application of thorough policies.

In fact, from the viewpoint of police work, the benefits of cameras seem to far outnumber the risks. Beyond just the effect on citizen complaints, the cameras hold potential to improve everything from evidence collection to allow for better training.

As for privacy concerns, again, policies need to be developed for these cameras just as they are for cameras and footage used by police in investigations and public areas.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle will be cost. Estimates range from $400 to $900 per camera, plus the costs of data storage, staff time spent dealing with footage, etc.

In the wake of Ferguson, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri is suggesting future federal funding to police departments be contingent on the use of body cameras.

That's a start, but if the federal government is willing to transfer tanks, grenade launchers and mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to these same departments, shouldn't it be willing to give them the funds to buy cameras, too?

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